Far over Misty Worlds (It's not cold, just sopping wet)
by Black Powder Beauty
Summary: A High Mage from a different world throws Middle Earth's future as we know it so far off balance it's not even funny. Follow Bena Tolome and her familiar; Montilies as they cause a few headaches and cure some. (Warning: Rated T because of beginning and maybe some future parts I.e gore, some swearing and anything else I might miss)
1. Opening: Vengance of a bloody type

Sunday August 20th, 2017.

I've revamped part of this story and replaced some parts due to how they didn't jive with what I wanted to write later.

All of the Hobbit belongs to J.R.R Tolkien, Peter Jackson, and the Movie studios that made it all possible.

My OC and all things affiliated belong to me.

Chapter 1: Vengance of a bloody type

Bena Tolome. Ex-slave and recent escapee, was running for her life.

She had slipped her chains and escaped her place of imprisonment, killing the guard and taking his machete. It had been hers a lifetime ago; now it was all she could do to keep it from slipping her sweaty grip as she ran through the Forest of Anjeal.

After three days of running, hiding for a few hours of respite, countless backtrackings and mud baths to throw her pursuers off her trail, they had managed to pick up her trail once again. Bena was racing through the Forest, her feet barely touching the ground as blood dripping from a slash in her cheek.

Her lungs burned with every breath dragged past her chapped lips. But she pushed herself even faster as the baying of the hounds and shouts drew even closer. The trees were becoming sparse now and foliage was thinner. This made it easier to run but it also made it easier for her chasers to see her. An arrow flew past her and another buried into a tree ahead of her.

The trees stop altogether meeting the edge of a great plain where grass sways in the wind. Bena tumbled head over heels; not having seen the rock in her path. She scrambled up, fear racing through her heart.

'Just a little further' she thought to herself. Marius and his men wouldn't dare follow her out to the Plains. But it was not to be. A howl split the air making Bena look back in terror. One of the hounds had pulled ahead of the rest and was closing fast. There was no time to move before it crashed into her, its claws digging and ripping through the flesh of her back.

Bena howled in pain before managing to roll over and throw the beast off. It landed a few feet away and regained its footing quickly before charging at her. She only just managed to get her machete out in front of herself. The hound; unable to stop, impaled itself on the blade.

The feel of relief was replaced by a horrible realization. They had caught up to her. Bena was now surrounded by a dozen men, all fresher to the fight and had more weapons than she did at the moment.

She whipped around; frantically seeking a hole in the ring of advisarys, but finding none in the circle of drawn swords and taught bowstrings held in the hands of leering, sneering men.

One steps forward. Marius; a tall black mustached fellow dressed better then his fellows. Put away his blade and held his hands out as if to calm Bena. He made soothing noises as if to calm a wild animal.

"Come on Kitty... come on back girl. Come on back and Fredrike won't hear about how you ran away. I'll even give you a week free of fighting!" He said that like it was the greatest offer in history.

She snarled at him, making sure to keep an eye on the other men.

Marius tutted at her.

"Now, now Kitty. Every minute you don't except my offer I take away a day from that week and add two more beasts to your fighting.

Again Bena's lips drew back over to-sharp canines as an even louder snarl ripped from her throat accompanied by the sound of tinkling beads as she shook her head back and forth; dreads vigourusly flying about.

The slavers face, which had been coaxing and encouraging, fall's into a nasty smile. Bena tensed.

"Your funeral. Lads?"

Bow's twanged; arrow's hitting the Magess injured back and the slavers fell upon her with their swords. It didn't matter because now red had overtaken the ex-slave's vision. A berserk rage that made her faster than the swings and stabs. Screams and roars echoed across the grass covered prairie making the animals of the forest quiver with fear in their little homes.

Late afternoon fell upon a bloodied plain with the sun shining on the slavers bodies, whose glassy eyed stares seemed to be fixed on a crimson covered figure scavenging amongst her former masters, saving the best for last.

Bena stood over Marius; taking a perverse sort of pleasure in how his face had froze from the sudden pain of being relieved of all four limbs and having a dagger buried in his heart.

This man had been one of her chief torturer, chaining her to a pole and making her fight the various feral animals that roamed the Southern Waistes and Deserts, with only her bare hands or a shard of pottery. That was only one of the things that she endured at his hands. He had always taken joy in torturing her ever since she killed his brother Killian in her capture.

Bena patted him down; looking for a specific item.

The escapee knew that Meister trusted no one but His Right-hand-Man to carry the key's; while keeping a set of fake key's on himself so that any slave that tried to escape would undoubtably go for the Meister himself. It was just a game to them, a sport for when they grew bored of torturing the Magess.

Once in a while they'de stop drugging one of the slaves and wait till they made the eventual break for freedom. Then after the poor unfortunate soul was dragged back, the Meister and Marius would through him/her to the pit of Scorpios. Giant scorpions with three heads that looked like a cross between an Aligator and a snake. Their venom paralyzed the whole body with the exception of the vocal chords, then slowly brought the victim's blood to a boil. Bena had to sit and listen to the screams and pleading for the pain to stop.

"Ahh, here you are."

Bena had found the key's hanging around his neck, but for now all her attention was focused on a small bronze key with a yellow stripe on it. She ripped the whole band of Marius's throat and with shaking hands, slotted it into the keyhole of the padded iron collar encircling her neck.

One turn to the left.

The collar had been made by one of her fellow Mages year ago when she was apart of the Stalosian Peacecorp. Back then it was common to have magical dampeners so the offenders couldn't run off.

Two the right.

But this was the one reserved for the worst of them. Runes were inscribed for magical inhibition and any extra sensory talents. Effectively rendering the prisoner unable to use any and all magic, dulling his or her senses down, so all they were was a half blind, deaf and weak version of themselves.

But during the almost 50 years of captivity, Bena had worked in the wee hours of the night; strengthening her body and senses preparing herself for the chance to escape. During those years she had watched as the world slowly died and beasts roamed and killed indiscriminatly without any magical being to guide and keep them. Men killed any with even a hint of magic or special ability. Now all that was left was a nomad or two that survived on the Plains and Seas. There was also the city where she had escaped from; Knochen.

Another three to the left a push up and-

(Ka-chink.)

Bena's whole body trembled in anticipation as she grasped the collar on either side of the key and pulled.

It popped open while several symbols glowed once, then disappeared. The Magess sank to her knees sobbing in relief and joy. Almost half a century of torture; of helplessness..

So many pain filled years and now... Freedom.

It starts out slow; the return of power barely noticeable until the night's noise becomes a battle of sound in Bena's ears and her eyes start to sting from the light now pervading her sight.

A power long denied rushed through the Bena's body, making her gasp through the tears then scream to the skys as bones vanished and regrew, skin tearing open then knitting back together and Magik screamed down newly regrown and opened pathways. The withheld Magik adding to her body's strength and gifting her with abilities she would not discover till later.

What seemed like an eternity of pain was only a few short minutes as light danced all around her kneeling, screaming form, zapping in and out before dying down leaving a whole and healthy Magess.

Bena fell over from her kneeling position gasping for air; Magik having been the only thing holding her up during the ordeal. Her whole body ached and trembled with phantom pains, even that was fast disapearing in the realization of her magic finally back where it belonged.

A grin spread across her face even as she lay there. Her magic was back. Her magic was BACK!

A loud whoop sounded across the plains; scaring some of the crows that had been circling. Bena was up in a flash and started dancing around; her dreadlocked hair flying about her shoulders as she whirled in circles, laughing and chanting.

"It's back, it's back, it's back. IT'S BACCKKKKK!" This continued for a good ten minutes before her foot hit the collar

A fireball suddenly hit the collar; making it glow white hit before giving a shriek and melting into the ground. Bena glared at it then looked around at the bodys. This would be messy.

She smirked. What better way to clean up; then to use her magic for it.

The Magess threw her arms out and from her body burst a wall of fire, devouring all in it's path. It completely immolated the body's and weapons, leaving nothing but ash and puddles of metal. The fire then dissapated as soon as it had come.

Bena smiled, though this was a more sinister and bloodthirsty one. She murmered to herself while watching the sun set.

"Prepare yourself Meister. Vengance is coming."

(Author's Notes)

Q: Bena's Age?

A: I've mapped out a timeline and after the arrival her age will be around four-and-a-half centuries old. Not to old not to young.

Middle Earth arrival- The year will be 2928; a couple years after Bungo, Bilbo's father dies. Bilbo will be 36 years old; orginally Belladonna die's in 2934, but i've decided to let her live. (I took these date's from LOTR Wikia.)

I've decided Bena's spellword's will mainly German maybe some other one's thrown in later because of the next chapter.

Please remember that this AU in some part's as far as who die's and who doesn't.

I could really use a beta who is knowledgeable about the varius subject's of Middle earth and another who could check my grammer and writing for any mistakes.

The pairing has not been decided yet but it won't be Legolas, Thranduil, Thorin, or the two nephew's. I kinda would like to do Bard but for now I'll stick with a non-pairing.

As of August 20th and October 16th I have re-edited this story and thrown in more backstory for Bena. Hope you like it.


	2. Chapter 1: Final act of the Stalos

Chapter 2: Final act of the Stalosian Mundanes. (Approximately two years later)

Bena Tolome High Magess and Beast Keeper sat; lounging upon an ornate bone throne in a large tent that sat in the midst of the war-torn Knochen City. She had coralled the Meister and all of his soldiers, slavers, slaves, and assasins in one place and slaughtered them all; even the slaves.

She felt pity for the slaves; their mind's broken beyond all hope of repair and drugged with a special loyalty serum that forced their servitude. The only reason she hadn't ended up that way to was because of her inherent ability to resist such substances.

The Sorceress also grimaced at it all for with her world; Stalos, dying the Meister's camp was the largest and only settlement of people. Once in a while a lieutanent would break off to try but would quickly come crawling back to safety rather than face all the savage beast's on the Outside.

She was suprised that Marius even followed her that far.

Bena snapped her finger's conjuring up one of the Old books of History. The Magess paged through it, eye's flickering over various passages, unitl she found what she was looking for.

Dineval Gregory High Sorcerer had written about a possible way to journey to different world's but had also said it was highly theoratical. The book was published shortly before an explosion occured in his labratory and he was supposedly killed.

But there were rumor's that he had succeeded and the explosion was a result of his ritual circle collapsing after use. Mage's and Sorcerer's of their caliber had to be careful with rituals because of the sheer power generated was the equivalent of a large sonic bomb. (Think nuke but a large sound boom that could level everything within a two mile radius)

Tolome closed the book and smirked. Look's like she had some planning to do. After gathering anything of importance from the City of Knochen she walked out of the cesspit and casually waved a hand, the whole place going up in all-consuming crimson red flames.

Author's notes:

Knochen is German for Bone's. Now Bena's world I would like to point out is much smaller than Earth and can't support a large population like it can. Before it turned out the way it did People of Magik and Mundanes mixed quite well until you had the one person who was to greedy for his own good.

But that will be explained later.

The world is dying and now that Bena killed the last of the people she is essentially the last Survivor. And as I said before all those people she killed before were EVIL and or no hope for them no second chances, zip, nada.

Also the reason for the whole 'dangerous beast and all' is because the Magikals helped to control them but are all dead except Tolome. Bena is a Beast Keeper but keeping all the animals in her world in line is to much to handle. She is human metaphorically speaking.

Some of you may have noticed that she uses fire alot. There is a reason for that and it will be explained later. No, she is not a dragon!

Well here we are and it's already 2 chapters, however short they may be. Any who this story will be edited, changed, parts written etc. etc. Till I am satisfied with it, I'm still getting a hang of this site so it might take a while to flesh out the story and update. Please review and feel free to point out any grammer mistakes, I could always use the help


	3. Chapter 2: I bid you all a fond farewell

Chapter 3: Rough travels and New Paths.

Dineval's Tower was located to the west of Knochen across the Ocean of Maamad and in the Valley of Taos. The journey alone took several month's because Bena; not knowing how much the terrain had changed since the begining of the twenty-some years of imprisonment, didn't want to run the risk of ending up in some kind of hill, tree or animal.

When the Sorceress finally arrived at the Valley's edge she encountered a slight problem, well more of annoying inconvienence. Kept in stasis inside a rather large ward stone was a Colcet. Tolome suspected she could only see it because of her status as High Sorceress, detecting various spell's designed to keep it hidden.

A Colcet was a magical bear that resembled the polar branch but had massive lion paws, hard bone plates just under the skin and were excelllent familar's and guardian's of Mage home's. It's magic ability was in it's strength and speed. Making it easily on par with a small dragon in term's of danger,back in the day.

She brushed the wardstone's magik with her own, testing the spell's that that held the bear in suspended animation. The magik flared slightly before she felt the the ward's send a message of a test before they would transfer to her. The woman's test would be judgement by the The Bear.

It started with a low groan from the dark grey furred creature which then evolved into a rather large yawn. The Colcet opened opened it's eyes whilst moving forward out of the space that it had been encapsled in.

It landed on all four feet with a loud thud; it's head towering over Tolome by several inches. Bena stood stock still as it snuffled her judging whether she was worthy of entering the warded land's. The bear sat back on it's haunches paw's crossed in a manner not unlike a human's.

 **"You seek escape."** It wasn't a question; merely a statement, the bear's voice a low baritone seasoned with age and wisdom. The Sorceress nodded, accepting the word's spoken.

"I do, Honored Guardian."

"You're mind is damaged, it would not be wise to leave until you have healed Cubling. Come."

Bena winced as the Colcet turned away walking once again on all four paw's. She knew that after her year's of slavery that her mindshield's were a mess but had hoped the new world she would go to had method's of healing her.

The grey bear led the Sorceress into the valley's center past Various building's that stood in decay with the exception of three tall tower's dominating the valley.

(This is a bit of a time-skip of about a couple more year's just to get Bena up to speed because any issue concerning torture or physical abuse to is never easy especially for some as old as her. not to say she's inexpierenced it's just that i'd rather My OC have a solid base so there's no breakdown.)

Bena worked with Agon; or Aggy as he prefered to be called; to repair her mindshield's, It was a long process but well worth it.

She also looked over book's from the Tower soley dedicated to keeping book's and scroll's. It turned out Dineval had returned from the world he had left but came back with a broken heart when his wife who had met in Middle Earth; the planet he visited; died. He dedicated his remaining year's to writing everyting he had learned and had even copied book's from the other world's various library's.

The books contained the history and various languages spoken but not dwarvish due to their untrusting nature of not only the Mage but his Elf wife. Bena soaked up the knowledge alternating between the book's and other's.

It took her quite a few week's, months even to soak up all the knowledge and put it to use as she packed and prepared for the journey to Middle earth. A thing of interest was that she found a Familiar whilst looking through the various vault's buried under the Tower's. A Basilisk; 112 feet long four feet across green scales and black red crested male named Montilies. He was another Mage's familar and has been forced into an egg when the snake had gone on a rampage after his master was killed by assasin's.

Montilies was a fiercely protective of his mistress and as such persuaded Bena to tattoo herself with a a picture of himself wrapping her torso so the Basilisk could disappear into it and stay close.

The day finally came when Tolome was to leave. The ritual took place in the third and largest tower, on it's top in a large open space whil a large stor, was raging. The proccess of World Walking was quite simple. You needed to cast several spell's while detonating various magically grown crystal's.

Bena herself was behind a strong shield and had at last set off the final gem when a bolt of multicolored lighting came down striking the Sorceress and obliterating the tower top. Agon had watched the whole thing and felt magic leaving the world with the centuries old Sorceress.

"And so it start's. May the Valar bless you, and forgive me; Dineval Gregory for lingering so long."

Agon's body slowly disolved and he woke in the Undying Land's with his Beloved's arms around him.

(In Loth Lorien: Celeborn and Galadriel's Chamber's)

The White Lady of Lothlorien; Lady Galadriel shot up from the arms of her sleeping husband feeling a burst of foreign magic and a shift in the future. But no sooner had the sensation come, it left leaving no memory of it.

Celeborn awoke and sleepily inquired, what was the matter. The she-elf shook her head and bestowed a soft smile upon her life partner.

"Nothing my heart, I just thought it was time to get up. Go back to sleep."

And so none the wiser the Ldy and her Lord husband fell back into Irmo's embrace unaware of the new player on the scene.


	4. Chapter 3: Introductions through rain

Chapter 3: Flash Landing's and Family

It was September 28th TA 2928 in the Shire and a large storm was raging over Hobbiton as per the norm during the middle week's of autumn.

Belladonna Baggin's; owner and resident of Bag End anxiously waited as mother's do; for her son to come home. Bilbo; bless his heart, had gone out exploring and hadn't made it home before the storm's arrival.

The worried hobbit glanced out the window again praying to Eru that her child was alright.

Bena roused to the feel of rain on her face and the cracking of thunder, lying in a puddle of water at the bottom of a wide but shallow crater whilst wind howled and cold water fell from the heaven's.

The Sorceress was quick to move to her feet, one of the first lesson's she learned while traveling was to alway's be aware of your surrounding' felt Montilies stirring in the back of her mind; the snake stored in a massive tattoo curling around her torso his head displayed on her neck down to the tops of her breast's.

 _ **"Mistress, are we there yet?"**_ Bena shivered as cold clothes clung to her skin and sent back an image of the place she was in. A satisfied emotion pulsed through her, warming Bena's heart.

 _ **"Would you like me to come out?"**_ was the Basilisk's next question.

"No darling, I don't know where we are and i don't want to risk any orc seeing you and trying to eat my dear Familiar."

Monty chuckled at the flimsy possibility of an orc eating him, but deffered to his mistress on the matter.

Bena pushed at her magik muttering a spell for light.

" **Licht** **"**

She sighed in relief as an apple sized ball of light shimmered into existance in front of her. She had been afraid; despite the book's assurances that her magik wouldn't work here. Pulling her long jacket closer she trudged through the forest seeking civilasation and shelter.

Little did Bena know that she had a witness of her arrival to Middle Earth. A hobbit; Bilbo Baggins, had been watching the lighting from an outcrop of rock's. When the bolt's of colored electricty abated he continued on his way, anticapating the warm clothes and stew his mother would have waiting for him.

He had had cleared the Old Forest when a tremendous "Cracckkk' combined with a teeth shaking 'Bboomm' sounded forth; calling his attention to a massive bolt of yellow lighting streaking toward's the very forest Bilbo had just exited.

It struck an oak grove several yard's further east along the edge, and seeing as it wasn't that far; Bilbo saw no harm in taking a quick peek. He had never seen a lightning struck tree. What he discovered though would change his life forever.

The hobbit spyed from behind an oak tree watching the woman who had been lying in the bottom of the crater struggle to her feet the make a ball of warm fire colored light appear. She then stumbled away; shivering as she walked.

Something pulled at Bilbo's being; something telling him to go after the stranger, to bring her home.

He struggled with himself as the woman ngot further and further away, trying to reason that maybe she was dangerous, or possibly crazy. His Took side won over his Baggin's side and he hurried after the woman.

"Hello? I say, Hello!?"

Bena turned at the accented cry to see an extremly short man similarly soaked.

A "Yes?" was forced between chattering teeth.

The little man drew closer as he spoke his own teeth click-clacking from the cold of the rain.

"Now look, I saw what happened; how you came with that weird bolt of lightning and for some reason I feel like I should bring you home, so you are going to come home with me where my mother will undoubtebly have something hot on the nob and some clean dry clothes."

He punctuated his statement with a sharp nod and brushed past her; catching the flabbergasted womans hand as he passed and pratically drug her along back to Bag End.

(Bit of a Time Skip but bear with me lovies, I have a wonderful plan.)

It cascaded from there, and if you asked Bilbo he would tell you it was "terribly good fortune that I came across her."

Belladonna Baggin's was leary at first of her son's guest, but when Bilbo had said she had nowhere else to go and gave his mother a loaded look that said 'we'll talk later' she relented and had dinner ready for the both of them.

Now the dread-haired woman sat; full from a meal of barley soup and biscuit's along with rasberry tarts; contentedly soaking the warmth of the fire. Bilbo was asking question about her homela- no, homeworld. Bena had told both hobbit's ;after asking them to swear not to tell her secret's; that she came from a world smaller and vastly different from Middle Earth.

She regaled them with tales of Mages and Sorceress' and how they had dwelled in peace with those of non-magic, Mundanes as they were otherwise named. Bena also told Bilbo and Belladonna about her own life leading up to her arrival at the Oak Grove. Needless to say She cut down the real version to something lighter as not to alarm the two, but the discerning look in both of their eye's said that they had an inkling.

Later when Bena had slipped into the realm of dream's; occupying one of the many guestrooms, Bilbo sat smoking his pipe whilst his mother drank a cup of tea. Belladonna raised an eyebrow at her boy and He blew out a particularly large cloud of smoke before speaking

"I don't know what came over me mum. I just saw her and felt that she had to come back here." He slouched in his chair scrubbing a hand over his tired face.

"It's as if there was a pressing my chest and then there I was calling to her!"

He looked to his mother, eye's pleading for her to understand. Bela gazed at Bilbo, who without knowing it was projecting the same mein of frustration that Bungo wore when he couldn't understand something.

She put her cup of tea to the side and leaned across the space between them to grasp the young hobbits hands in her own, brushing a curl behind his ear.

It was a closely guaraded secret that some Tooks had a very small dose of seers blood running through their veins. Bela's was that she knew when she would die. Gruesome, but it encouraged her to live life to the fullest. Bilbo's seemed to be roused by this Tolome woman.

"I understand 'bo, and I trust you. Oh your father would be so proud of the hobbit you're growing to be."

The young hobbit sniffled and swiped a hand across his eye's.

"Thanks mum."

Bilbo's intuition proved him well for the next morning when Bena was to take her leave he persauded her to stay while and take in the sight's of the Shire and Hobbiton.

A few day's turned into a week, a week turned into a month and so on. Until Bena had become apart of the little family. The whole Shire gossiped about it, saying the woman must have tricked 'poor old Mrs Baggins".

Belladonna had a fit when she heard that particular rumor circulating and quickly put a stop to her neighbor's wagging tongues by naming Bena an honorary Baggins.

6 year's went by with little happening; Bena would often spend week's away building up her own home not far from the Great East Road. She had purchased the farm from a farmer, Hiram Diggle, who wanted to move closer to Bree. The Magess then built a solid stone building carving runes for warmth, protection and a plethora of other spell chains.

Bena set Montilies to work having the snake burrow down in the earth; creating massive tunnel's with his full size of 60 feet and and 7 foot girth. The Basilisk was quite happy to be out and about and Bena would frequently hear him humming across their bond.

The High Magess after much debate with Beladonna started teaching Bilbo how to defend himself should he run afoul of anything in his own adventures. She taught the hobbit how to use a sling and some dagger's which in his hand's were short sword's. Bilbo at first didn't like it but gracefully accepted that his mother wanted him to be safe.

Beladonna in turn taught Tolome how to cook and garden; the pair were often found laughing over a failed attempt or celebrating at a passable dish. Bena had a tunnel dug from her Haven, the name of the farm she had bought, to Bag End one entrance being the entry hallway; if you pulled down the chandilier the boards would fold down into steps. The other was in a storeroom and if you hopped twice while pressing a two wood knots in the food shelves simultaneously a hole would apper beneathe your feet and down you would slide into a side tunnel in the litteral maze of tunnels. Bena had knicknamed the passage way's The Warren.

But it was an early March morning when tragedy struck. Bena was sleeping peacefully having come back late and enjoying a lie-in. A wail broke the peace of Bag End.

"MUM!"

The Magess was out of her bed in a flash grabbing one of her machetes, and in a poof of air disappeared then reappeared next to Bilbo. The hobbit was sobbing and yelling as he hugged his mother's cold body to himself. Bena scrambled over to both casting diagnostic spell's but it was of no use. Beladonna had passed in her sleep with an angelic look upon her face.

Bena fell to her knee's before the bed; tears streaming down her face, heart feeling like it was being torn to pieces and a fist stuffed in her mouth to stifle her own screams of grief.

It was gray day when Beladonna was buried next to Bungo; many came to the funeral to pay their respect and say their final goodbyes.

It was the month after the funeral when Bena came into the now orphaned hobbit's room throwing some clothes on the bed.

"Come on. We're going for a little vacation."

And so the Magess took Bilbo to Haven and conjured goblins letting him take his grief out on them. By the end of the day Bilbo was kneeling in pile of goblin part'ts blood covered in cut's and unmentionable fluids. The process of healing was started.

(Author Notes)

Please let me know what you all think. Fyi I still need a beta. (Puppy eyes) Pretty please?


	5. Chapter 4: Concerning Hobbits and Mages

Chapter 4: Concerning Hobbit's and Mages

Bilbo sat outside his house enjoying the sun and his pipe full of the finest Old Toby, after the first blood he had shed with the Golem goblins he had begged Bena to take him after the real thing. So Bena and he proceeded to go after any band's of Orc's they could find, often crossing paths with a pair of Elven Twin's; Eledain and Eloheir.

Now here he was; tanned and muscled from his swordplay and slinging, relaxing upon a wooden bench in the cool morning air. He closed his eyes breathing deep lungful's of smoke and slowly exhaling

Something brushed past his nose, making the hobbit startle slightly from his relaxed smoking, the first thing he saw that just outside the little gate at the end of the walk was an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed grey hat a long grey cloak and a grey-white beard which hung down to his waist.

"Good Morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining over a beautiful Hobbiton and life was good.

But the old man looked at him fron under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.

"What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a

good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

Bilbo simply laughed and shook his head at the man's riddling word's, delighted at his answer and rejoined with; "All of them at once of course! And a fine day it is for riddles and smoking. Come sit and smoke a pipe; it's Old Toby." he said blowing a beautiful grey ring of smoke that sailed up into the air without breaking and floated away over The Hill.

"Very pretty. But I have regretably no time to blow smoke-rings this morning. For I am looking for someone to share an adventure that I am arranging, and its very difficult to find anyone."

Bilbo leaned forward in an interested manner. "I should think so- in these parts! Most Hobbits are quit folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty uncomfortable thing's they say! Make you late for dinner. But.." and the hobbit gave a secretive glance to the grey man.

"Some of us do like an adventure now and then. Especially my sister Bena; now there's a wandering soul. She once went all the way to Fangorn once; on a whim no less! Scared me and Mother half to death when she came home all dirty with torn clothes, half healed wound's and a crazy smile on her face. She had the nerve to say 'That was fun' before passing out in the living room."

The wizard gave a chuckle. "Indeed. and what of yourself Master Baggins? Do you fancy yourself an adventurer?"

Bilbo sent of another ring before he expostulated

"I think we all are adventurer's of a sort; all it takes is the proverbial nudge out the door. But in answer to your question; I like to think so. But, here my good sir you seem to know my name but i don't recall you giving yours!

"Oh you do know my name . I am Gandalf and Gandalf mean's well; me."

"Not the old wizard who used to make the most wonderful fireworks for Old Took on Midsummer's Eve. I recall admiring the way they'de go up like great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight alll evening! I didn't know you were still in business."

The wizard raised an eyebrow. "And where should I be?"

Bilbo coughed slightly before pointing down, clearly indicating he had thought the grey Wizard should be dead.

The eyebrow was raised higher before Gandalf harumphed. "All the same I am pleased you remember something about me. You seem to rembember my fireworks kindly, at any rate, and that is not without hope. But back to my orginal dilemma."

The door opened and Bena came out dressed in a loose white shirt and black knee-length trouser's, she was holding a piece of leather in one hand and a sewing needle with thread hanging from it.

"Bilbo give me your hand." The hobbit huffed and held out his empty left hand while inturducing her to the Wizard.

"Bena this is Gandalf, Gandalf this is my sister Bena Tolome Baggins."

Bena absentmindedly hummed and waved at the old man. The Grey bowed, his eye's narrowing at the aura of the woman, it reeked of power. The Magess sewed the ends of the leather piece together and looked at it a moment before screwing up her brows in thought. Her brothers voice brought her back to the present.

"Ben, how do you feel about going on an adventure?"

The Beast Keeper gave her brother a perplexed look before he elucidated.

"Gandalf here apparently is looking for some fellow adventurers."

Bena snickered. "And he came to the Shire? I would have like to see Lobelia's face if he had showed up at her doorstep. The old bat probably would have chased him off after seeing if he had anything valuable."

The two sibling's chortled at the image her observation conjured. Gandalf observed the pair with interest, he could slight traces of the woman's magic around Bilbos form and Saw a familal bond between the two. But what was even curiouser to the Wizard; was that Bena the hazy image of a dark green snake curled around her body.

Bena patted her hobbit brother on the shoulder. "Well if you want to go I'll follow but!" she stressed "If you do, tell Old gaffer to look after the house. Last thing you want to come home to is a stripped house." She tugged the leather cuff of before walking back into the house uttering a hasty goodbye to the Wizard.

Bilbo sent another ring of smoke off and smiled at the Grey Pilgrim.

"Excellent. So when would you like me to be ready for this adventure?"

Author's note: Here is the disclaimer that I forgot to put. I do not own Tolkien's work or Peter Jackson's Movies. I do own Stalos, Bena and the world she came from.

I know that some thing's don't jive right as you read through, just humor me for now people. Summer will come around and I'll have more time to edit.


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